Computer systems have quickly become the center of numerous operations performed in households throughout the world. Previously, a computer was used only for computing operations; however, uses for computers have progressed from this simple model into an electronics hub. A few examples of this progression include using a computer as a media center, a TV, a stereo, a picture repository, a data center, and a server for personal, informational, and commercial applications. As a result, computers as well as the networks they are connected to have grown immensely. For example, the internet has become one of the most prolific resources for information and retail.
However, as the internet and networks within companies continue to increase, the computing resources required to operate at high speeds have also drastically increased. Previously a single server or small data center was able to serve the general public. Yet, websites and networks have become so popular and frequently hit, that data-centers have become much more complex. Often a data-center includes a back-end with single or multiple index servers that maintain a central repository of information/data, as well as a front-end that interfaces with outside clients requesting the data. Consequently, to meet the demand on storage capacity and access times, many networks employ the usage of server racks, which have any number of servers networked together, or a large grouping of servers.
Typically, there is a central authority server or other central server that recognizes new servers or racks. To ensure the integrity of a new machine, the memory of the new machine is often tested by downloading a servicing agent to perform a local memory test. This local test creates two potential problems: (1) a machine that is not healthy may not have the capacity to adequately and accurately perform a self-check; and (2) there is often a large overhead in repeating the self-check for each new machine that is not easily automated.
Additionally, networked machines are typically limited to communicating with each other through traditional memory accesses, which impose a large load on a machine's processor and memory, as memory accesses must be arbitrated through an operating system's kernel and application space. This process of mediating a remote access is typically used to ensure trust and reliability, but costs valuable processor execution time and memory space.